UBS Group AG Purchases 4,992,179 Shares of Graphic Packaging Holding Company $GPK

Key Points

• UBS Group AG raised its stake in Graphic Packaging by 123.8%, buying an additional 4,992,179 shares to hold 9,026,134 shares (about 3.06%) valued at roughly $135.9 million.
• CEO Robbert Rietbroek purchased 44,278 shares at $11.32 each (~$501k) on March 4, and company insiders collectively own about 1.41% of the stock.
• Wall Street sentiment is cautious—MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Reduce" with a consensus target of $13.73; the stock trades near $9.52, has a PE of 6.43 and a 4.6% dividend yield.

UBS Group AG raised its stake in shares of Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE:GPK - Free Report) by 123.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,026,134 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 4,992,179 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned about 3.06% of Graphic Packaging worth $135,934,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Quarry LP grew its position in shares of Graphic Packaging by 282.0% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,547 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 1,142 shares during the period. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Graphic Packaging during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in shares of Graphic Packaging by 649.6% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 2,039 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 1,767 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Graphic Packaging by 65.2% during the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 2,291 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 904 shares during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in shares of Graphic Packaging during the 3rd quarter worth about $45,000. 99.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Graphic Packaging

In other Graphic Packaging news, CEO Robbert Rietbroek acquired 44,278 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $11.32 per share, for a total transaction of $501,226.96. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 44,278 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $501,226.96. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.41% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GPK has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Graphic Packaging from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on Graphic Packaging from $13.00 to $10.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 20th. UBS Group decreased their target price on Graphic Packaging from $13.00 to $10.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Raymond James Financial lowered Graphic Packaging from a "market perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Graphic Packaging in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $9.60 target price for the company. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Graphic Packaging currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $13.73.

Graphic Packaging Trading Down 0.9%

NYSE:GPK opened at $9.52 on Friday. Graphic Packaging Holding Company has a fifty-two week low of $8.78 and a fifty-two week high of $23.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.82 billion, a PE ratio of 6.43 and a beta of 0.69. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $10.11 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.58.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 2nd. The industrial products company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter. Graphic Packaging had a return on equity of 16.58% and a net margin of 5.15%.The business had revenue of $2.10 billion for the quarter. Sell-side analysts expect that Graphic Packaging Holding Company will post 0.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Graphic Packaging Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, March 15th were issued a dividend of $0.11 per share. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. Graphic Packaging's payout ratio is 29.73%.

Graphic Packaging Company Profile

Graphic Packaging Holding Company is a leading provider of sustainable paperboard packaging solutions, offering a broad portfolio of products designed for food, beverage and other consumer goods markets. The company specializes in the manufacture of containerboard, folding cartons and engineered fill materials, as well as beverage packaging systems including paperboard cups, carriers and related components.

Through a network of manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe and Latin America, Graphic Packaging serves a diverse customer base that includes major consumer packaged goods companies, quick-service restaurants and retail chains.

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